While touring the United States and the rest of North America, I discovered a unique experience in Canada – trekking.
Although Canada is a rapidly developing economy, the Canadian wilderness is a place unparalleled in beauty.
Love nature? Experience the best that the Canadian countryside has to offer by going on any one of these rustic yet adventurous trails!
The Rideau Trail is made up of an eloquent network of trails between Kingston and Ottawa. Connecting Canada’s first capital (Kingston) and current capital (Ottawa), this trail is one for the history buffs!
Along the way are several historic sites, Canadian Shield lakes, beautiful towns, robust birdlife and a host of mixed wood forests.
Not including the side loops, the entire Rideau Trail spans approximately 327km. Not for the faint-hearted, hiking the entire trail could take up to two weeks. Visiting this trail during autumnal months is your best chance at experiencing the flora and fauna of the surroundings.
The Canol Heritage Trail is a product of the heinous World War II. Just before the conclusion of the war, the trail advanced beyond the Mackenzie Mountains until Yukon. A little bit about its background; the project was made with a labour force of 30,000 civilians and more than 1,000 US servicemen who mobilized at least a quarter a million tons of equipment.
The pipeline and road were only used for a year, and have since been abandoned due to high costs of maintenance. Although the original road is virtually invincible due to the effects of weather, the trail is still passable.
Along the trail are memoirs in the form of rotting pump stations, truck bodies covered in rust, and Nissen huts. The most arduous hikers can be dropped off with an aircraft along the long stretch. Precarious mountain tracks at several places can slow down a day’s hike in terms of mileage.
The Canon Heritage Trail represents tens of thousands of years of geological history. On this trail, you can witness 300 million-year-old dolostones, fish fossils, and granite and magnesium-rich limestone. A trail fit for the most enthusiastic of hikers, if you ask me!
Located along the Okanagan boundary region south of British Columbia, the Kettle Valley Rail Trail is a recreational trail. The trail was formerly the property of the dissolved Kettle Valley Railway when the Canadian Pacific Railway was still in active service.
The most popular section of the Trail is the Myra Canyon, located south of Kelowna on Okanagan Mountain. The section was built with 18 wooden trestles and two connecting tunnels to traverse the deep canyon between Midday and Penticton.
Though a remarkable segment was ruined by vandalism, Myra Canyon was declared a National Historic Site of Canada at the dawn of the new millennia. In 2003, a mountain fire southeast of Okanagan Mountain destroyed a large section of this tourist attraction and claimed twelve lives. However, the B.C provincial government has performed major restoration works along the trail to make it one of the most attractive treks in Canada, the US, and the whole Caribbean Region.
The Myra Canyon makes for some of the most scenic bike routes in the world!
The Great Divide Trail plunges into the rocky mountains after the Great Divide. The trail weaves its way from Alberta to British Columbia covering at least 1,000 km.
The scenery along the Great Divide Trail is littered with jagged rocky peaks, wildlife, glaciers, wildflowers, and more natural features that will make a visit worthwhile. However, the trail demands careful navigation, and even the fastest hiker would need at least 8 weeks to complete it.
The treks in Canada are rewarding but challenging. With proper preparation, however, you are bound to have a memorable experience.
Make sure you prepare well by acquiring the right hiking gear to protect you along the way, but light enough not to become cumbersome. The treks I have suggested to you will lead to Canada’s raw and rugged beauty.
As a fellow hiking enthusiast myself, I can’t help but to gather all my favourite hikes from top places around the world. See which New Zealand trails made it on my list!
Hiked a trail that’s worth making this list? Let me know – I’m always up for a chat!
